Solution to a problem that'll probably evaporate in a few years: website like Patreon, but for published authors/producers.

Visitors pledge a monthly amount (with ability to limit to N months) to any published creator.

Website repeatedly purchases a published item from that producer whenever sufficient funds accumulate, and provides public proof of the purchase to maintain trust.

If physical media was purchased, website operator donates it to a library/charity of their choice.

I learned in industry that there are problems that we can solve and sell those solutions to people who desperately need them, but not for enough money (or not cheaply enough) to justify us actually doing it.

Not just little websites but this often comes up at Real Work too.

I usually numb the pain this causes by moving on to the next problem for which we can actually charge enough to make it worth our while.

Maybe this is why fields need passionate devotees who work for (next to) nothing.

@22 i'd even say, maybe that's why we need an universal basic income and to stop quantifying people's value based on subjective work done or money earned

@CobaltVelvet I agree but on the flip side, all the Flat Earth and Scientology and evangelical people will also be able to devote themselves to their unsavory activities without worrying about income, and that worries me. Do you think the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks? Or is there a UBI proposal that seeks to address this in any way (seems like there couldn’t be but who knows, I ask because I’m ignorant).

@22 most of humanity is already devoted to establishing overcomplicated schemes to scam eachother through capitalism, i'm not sure it would get worse. maybe some of those people who have to rely to religion to feel better about their stressful or underpaid lives would be relieved, maybe all that free time combined with better and available to all education would protect people from fanatism

@CobaltVelvet Your comment reminded me of this Finn explaining Nordic capitalism + "smart, universal social policies that are in everyone’s self-interest" to Americans as a necessity of competing in the global age:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/bernie-sanders-nordic-countries/473385/

I feel like this well-executed universal healthcare, education, and daycare would do a lot that UBI aims to do, with less uncertainty than UBI (because of Nordic existence proof). "Well-executed" is of course a huge challenge.